• Korean Journal of Materials Research
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• v.20 no.3
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• pp.132-136
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• 2010

This study examined the biostability and drug delivery efficiency of g-$Fe_2O_3$ magnetic nanoparticles (GMNs) by cytotoxicity tests using various tumor cell lines and normal cell lines. The GMNs, approximately 20 nm in diameter, were prepared using a chemical coprecipitation technique, and coated with two surfactants to obtain a water-based product. The particle size of the GMNs loaded on hangamdan drugs (HGMNs) measured 20-50 nm in diameter. The characteristics of the particles were examined by X-ray diffraction (XRD), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-TEM) and Raman spectrometer. The Raman spectrum of the GMNs showed three broad bands at 274, 612 and $771\;cm^1$. A 3-(4, 5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2, 5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay showed that the GMNs were non-toxic against human brain cancer cells (SH-SY5Y, T98), human cervical cancer cells (Hela, Siha), human liver cancer cells (HepG2), breast cancer cells (MCF-7), colon cancer cells (CaCO2), human neural stem cells (F3), adult mencenchymal stem cells (B10), human kidney stem cells (HEK293 cell), human prostate cancer (Du 145, PC3) and normal human fibroblasts (HS 68) tested. However, HGMNs were cytotoxic at 69.99% against the DU145 prostate cancer cell, and at 34.37% in the Hela cell. These results indicate that the GMNs were biostable and the HGMNs served as effective drug delivery vehicles.

• Journal of Radiopharmaceuticals and Molecular Probes
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• v.7 no.1
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• pp.33-40
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• 2021

Recently, antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) are used to deliver efficient cytotoxic payloads selectively in cancer cells. In the designing of an ADC, the antibody is connected to a toxic payload via a covalent linker, which helps to solubilizes the typical hydrophobic payload as well as stabilizes the linkage over circulation. The development of the linkers for the antibody drug conjugate is still in demand. Initially, the acid, disulfide, and cathepsin-sensitive ADCs attracted considerable attention for the delivery of a potent cytotoxic payload but suffer from instability in human and mouse plasma with a short half-life. In addition, It also suffer from a solubility issue that induces aggregation, which is the major problem in their development. ADCs associated with sulfatase and phosphatase cleavable linker are highly soluble due to the anionic nature of sulfate and phosphate groups. The ADCs also showed high stability in human and mouse plasma. Therefore, to overcome these limitations, sulfatase and phosphatase cleavable linkers were developed. This review focuses on the recently reported advantages of sulfatase and phosphatase cleavable linkers for ADCs.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.33 no.9
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• pp.754-765
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• 2023

Exosomes are a type of extracellular vesicle containing proteins and messenger and microRNAs; they are secreted by all cell types. Once released, exosomes are selectively taken up by other cells adjacent or at a distance, releasing their contents and reprogramming the target cells. Since exosomes are natural vesicles produced by cells as small sizes, it is generally accepted that exosomes have a non-toxic nature and non-immunogenic behaviors. Recently, exosomes have elicited scientific attention as drug delivery vehicles to the central nervous system. The central nervous system has a blood-brain barrier that makes it difficult for drugs to penetrate. Thus, the blood-brain barrier has been a major obstacle to the development of drugs for treating neurodegenerative diseases. However, accumulating evidence suggests that exosomes can cross the blood-brain barrier primarily through transcytosis. Consequently, exosomes are expected to become a new delivery vehicle that can cross the blood-brain barrier and deliver drugs into the brain parenchyma. In addition, since different types of exosomes are secreted depending on the cell type and disease state, exosomes can also be utilized as biomarkers for the diagnosis of diseases in the central nervous system. In this review, we summarized recent research trends on exosomes, including clinical trials as biomarkers and treatment options for diseases in the central nervous system.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.17 no.3
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• pp.199-209
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• 1984

Pregnant rats were fed a pyridoxine deficient diet during the gestation and lactation. DEF I group received the deficient diet from delivery ; DEF II group, from the 15 th day of gestation. Body and brain weights, brain protein, DNA, RNA, plasma GOT and GPT, and catecholamines were measured. Effect of MAO inhibiting drug, pargyline, was determined. Brain protein, DNA, and RNA of offsprings of deficient groups were significantly lower than the control group, but RNA/ DNA, brain weight/DNA, and protein/DNA show that cell number were more affected than cell size by the pyridoxine deficiency during the 3rd week of gestation and lactation. Plasma GOT activities were more significantly different than plasma GPT between the control and deficient group. Brain norepinephrine of offsprings of deficient group were significantly lower than the control, but brain dopamine content was not significantly different from the control. At 2nd and 3rd week, norepinephrine was significantly depressed in deficient groups. Pargyline treatment affected a 1.2 fold increase in catecholamines in 3hr while the control had a 1.5 fold increase. Thus norepinephrine and dopamine synthesis was depressed in the deficient groups. Dopaminergic neurons may be less dependent on pyridoxine level than neurons from norepinephrine. Pyridoxine deficiency in maternal diet is not so critical to brain catecholamines of offspring except to the neonatal rats.

• Journal of Pharmaceutical Investigation
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• v.20 no.4
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• pp.223-228
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• 1990

The contribution of endogenous transport systems to the blood-brain barrier (BBB) transport of basic and acidic drugs was studied by using a carotid injection technique in rats and an isolated bovine cerebrovascular disease state were compared between the normotensive rats (WKY) and stroke-prone spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHRSP) which have been well established as an animal model with pathogenic similarities to humans. Basic drugs such as eperisone, thiamine and scopolamine inhibited, in a concentration dependent manner the in vivo uptake of $[{^3}H]choline$ through BBB, whereas amino acids and acidic drugs such as salicylic acid and valproic acid did not inhibit the uptake. The uptake of $[^3H]choline$ by B-CAP increased with time and showed a remarkable temperature dependency. The uptake of $[^3H]choline$ by B-CAP showed the very similar inhibitory effects as observed in the in vivo brain uptake, and was competitively inhibited by a basic drug, eperisone. The in vivo BBB uptakes of $[^3H]acetic$ acid and $[^{14}C]salicylic$ acid were dependent on pH of the injectate and the concentration of drugs. Several acidic drugs such such as salicylic acid, benzoic acid and valproic acid inhibited the in vivo uptake of $[^3H]acetic$ acid, whereas amino acid, choline and a basic drug such as eperisone did not inhibit the uptake. The uptake of acetic acid by B-CAP was competitively inhibited by salicylic acid. The permeability surface area product (PS) through BBB for $[^3H]choline$ in SHRSP was significantly lower than that in WKY. The concentration of choline in the brain dialysate in SHRSP was about half of that in WKY, while no significant difference was observed in the plasma concentration of choline between SHRSP and WKY. No significant difference was observed in the transport of monocarboxylic acids, glucose and neutral amino acid through BBB between SHRSP and WKY. From these results, it was concluded that BBB transport system of choline contributes to the transport of basic drugs through BBB, that acidic drugs can be transported via a moncarboxylic acid BBB transport system and that the specific dysfuntion of the BBB choline transport in SHRSP was ascribed to the reduction of the maximum velocity of choline concentration in the brain interstitial fluids.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.62 no.1
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• pp.10-26
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• 2019

Magnetic resonance-guided focused ultrasound (MRgFUS) is an emerging new technology with considerable potential to treat various neurological diseases. With refinement of ultrasound transducer technology and integration with magnetic resonance imaging guidance, transcranial sonication of precise cerebral targets has become a therapeutic option. Intensity is a key determinant of ultrasound effects. High-intensity focused ultrasound can produce targeted lesions via thermal ablation of tissue. MRgFUS-mediated stereotactic ablation is non-invasive, incision-free, and confers immediate therapeutic effects. Since the US Food and Drug Administration approval of MRgFUS in 2016 for unilateral thalamotomy in medication-refractory essential tremor, studies on novel indications such as Parkinson's disease, psychiatric disease, and brain tumors are underway. MRgFUS is also used in the context of blood-brain barrier (BBB) opening at low intensities, in combination with intravenously-administered microbubbles. Preclinical studies show that MRgFUS-mediated BBB opening safely enhances the delivery of targeted chemotherapeutic agents to the brain and improves tumor control as well as survival. In addition, BBB opening has been shown to activate the innate immune system in animal models of Alzheimer's disease. Amyloid plaque clearance and promotion of neurogenesis in these studies suggest that MRgFUS-mediated BBB opening may be a new paradigm for neurodegenerative disease treatment in the future. Here, we review the current status of preclinical and clinical trials of MRgFUS-mediated thermal ablation and BBB opening, described their mechanisms of action, and discuss future prospects.

• Polymer(Korea)
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• v.28 no.4
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• pp.335-343
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• 2004

Carmustine (l,3-bis(2-chloroethyI)-1-nitrosourea, BICNU) used as antineoplastic drug for the treatment of brain tumor is not appropriate for the long term delivery, because it has short biological half life. Therefore, poly(D,L-lactide-co-glycolide) (PLGA) is useful as drug carrier for the long term delivery due to bulk erosion property. Glycolide monomer is applied to release of BICNU owing to non-toxic and monomeric components after biodegradation of PLGA. In this study, BICNU-loaded PLGA wafers with or without glycolide monomer were fabricated by conventional direct compression method for the sustained release of BICNU. These wafers were observed for their release profiles of BICNU and degradation rates by SEM, NMR, and GPC. Furthermore, we make multi-layer wafers and compare them with release profiles of conventional wafer. From these results, drug release of BICNU-loaded PLGA wafers was increased with increasing the glycolid monomer contents. We confirmed that glycolide monomer and BICNU contents in barrier-layer influenced the drug release profiles and degradation rate.

• Journal of Convergence Korean Medicine
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• v.2 no.1
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• pp.5-12
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• 2021

Objectives: The purpose of this study is to fabricate an ultra-fine ginsenoside particle atomizer that can provide a new treatment method by delivering ginsenoside components that have a therapeutic effect on respiratory diseases directly to the lungs. Methods: We fabricated the AAO vibrating mesh by using the micromachining process. The starting substrate of an AAO wafer has a 350nm pore diameter with 50㎛ thickness. A photomask having several 5㎛ opening holes with a 100㎛ pitch was used to separate each nanopore nozzle. The photoresist structure was optimized to pattern the nozzle area during the lift-off process precisely. The commercial vibrating mesh was removed from OMRON's NE-U100 product, and the fabricated AAO vibrating mesh was installed. A diluted sample of 20mL with 30% red ginseng concentrate was prepared to atomize from the device. Results: As a result of liquid chromatography analysis before spraying the ginsenoside solution, ginsenoside components such as 20S-Rg3, 20R-Rg3, and Rg5 were detected. After spraying through the AAO vibrating mesh, ginsenosides of the same component could be detected. Conclusion: A nutrient solution containing ginsenosides was successfully sprayed through the AAO vibrating mesh with 350 nm selective pores. In particular, during the atomizing experiment of ginsenoside drug solution having excellent efficacy in respiratory diseases, it was confirmed that atomizing through the AAO vibrating mesh while maintaining most of the active ingredients was carried out.

• Polymer(Korea)
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• v.26 no.5
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• pp.691-700
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• 2002

Interstitial therapy using biodegradable polymeric device loaded with anticancer agent can deliver the drug to the tumor site at high concentration, resulting in an increase of therapeutic efficacy. 1,3-bis(2-chloroethyl)-1-nitrosourea (BCNU, carmustine) is most commonly used as chemotherapeutic agent for brain tumors. The design of implantable device is regarded as an important factor lot the efficient delivery of antitumor agent to targeting site. In order to control the release profile of drug, the release pattern of BCNU with the changes of various dimension and additives was investigated. The PLGA wafers containing 3.85, 10, 20 and 30% of BCNU were prepared in various shape (diameter of 3, 5 and 10 mm, thickness of 0.5, 1 and 2 mm) by direct compression method. In vitro drug release profile of BCNU-loaded PLGA wafers could be controlled by changing the dimension of wafers such as initial drug content, weight, diameter, thickness, volume and surface area of wafers, as well as PLGA molecular weight and additives. Drug release from BCNU-loaded PLGA wafers was facilitated with an increase of BCNU-loading amount or presence of poly(N-vinylpyrrolidone)(PVP) or sodium chloride (NaCl). The effects of various geometric factors and additives on the BCNU release pattern were confirmed by the investigation of mass loss and morphology of BCNU-loaded PLGA wafers.